Bahrain’s Bapco oil refinery declares force majeure after Iranian missile attack

Bahrain is the latest Gulf energy producer to invoke the legal clause.

• Iran attacked Gulf energy sites, including Bahrain's Bapco refinery.
• Bapco declared force majeure after refinery fire and damage
• Oil prices surged as attacks threaten global energy supply chains

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Iran launched fresh missile and drone strikes targeting energy installations across the Gulf on Monday, including a major oil facility in Manama, raising fears of supply disruptions as global oil prices surged.

Authorities in Bahrain said the attack hit the sprawling Al Ma’ameer petroleum complex operated by state energy firm Bapco Energies, following which a fire broke out, damaging the refinery infrastructure. Thick plumes of smoke were seen rising from the site on Sitra island, south of the capital, as emergency teams moved to contain the blaze.

Videos circulating on social media and geolocated by media organisations showed dark smoke billowing from the industrial zone housing Bahrain’s national oil company.

The Bapco oil refinery, a vital element of Bahrain's oil infrastructure, incurred damage and a subsequent fire following a missile attack attributed to Iranian sources. pic.twitter.com/whlE3tJzkE

— OSINT Europe (@Osinteurope) March 9, 2026

Following the attack, Bapco declared force majeure on its operations, citing disruptions caused by the regional conflict. “Bapco hereby serves notice of force majeure on its group operations which have been affected by the ongoing regional conflict in the Middle East and the recent attack on its refinery complex,” the company said in a statement.

Bahrain is the latest Gulf energy producer to invoke the legal clause. Energy firms in Qatar and Kuwait had earlier issued similar declarations after facing disruptions linked to the escalating conflict.

The latest strikes come as the war between Iran and its adversaries widens across the region. Tehran has launched waves of missile and drone attacks across the Gulf following a massive aerial campaign against the country by the U.S. and Israel that began on February 28.

Iranian attacks have increasingly targeted energy infrastructure and shipping routes, raising concerns about potential disruptions to global oil supplies.

Bahrain said a separate Iranian drone strike on the island of Sitra overnight injured at least 32 people, including four seriously.

The country’s health ministry said all of the wounded were Bahraini citizens. The victims included a 17-year-old girl who suffered severe head and eye injuries and a two-month-old baby, according to a statement carried by the state news agency.

Across the region, Gulf states reported new attacks on Monday.

Explosions were heard in the Qatari capital Doha, while Qatar’s defence ministry said its forces intercepted a missile targeting the country.

In Saudi Arabia, the defence ministry said air defences intercepted and destroyed two waves of drones heading toward the Shaybah oil field in the kingdom’s southeast.

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates also said air defence systems responded to a “missile threat”, while Kuwait reported another missile and drone attack after seven missiles and five drones were launched toward the country a day earlier.

Since Iran began its retaliatory campaign across the Gulf, 21 people have been killed, including 10 civilians and seven US service members, according to regional officials.

Oil prices and markets shaken

In the meantime, the widening attacks on energy infrastructure have rattled global markets. Oil prices surged to their highest levels since the 2022 Ukraine war, while Asian stock markets plunged as investors reacted to fears of supply disruptions.

Analysts warn that continued strikes on Gulf oil facilities could significantly tighten global energy markets.

The tensions have also prompted security concerns for diplomatic missions. The U.S. Department of State said it had ordered non-emergency US government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia due to safety risks.

Drone attacks had previously damaged US diplomatic missions in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, and drones struck the US embassy in Riyadh last week.

The Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, has warned that Tehran would continue responding to countries it believes are assisting attacks against the Islamic Republic.

He said Iran “will be forced to respond” against regional neighbours if their territory is used to launch operations against the country.

With energy infrastructure increasingly becoming a target, analysts warn that the conflict is now posing a direct threat to Gulf oil production and global energy supply chains.